A couple of days prior, Levi and Eren were sitting alone in the dining hall, both drinking tea as they waited for Erwin to come down as he had promised. From the sound of it, the news that he had was of the upmost importance. Levi was out of his military attire, instead wearing a long-sleeved shirt and comfortable pants while Eren was still in his Scouting Legion jacket.

“They’re late,” Levi said in a quiet tone. “Erwin and his damn men are making me wait. Our Military Police escorts are going to arrive before they do. He’s probably constipated and having a rough day.”

Eren let out a couple of hushed chuckles, somewhat uplifted that his captain was talking this much, despite the situation at hand.

“You’re quite talkative today, Captain,” Eren stated.

“Don’t be stupid ,” responded Levi. “I always talk a lot .”

As Levi took his last sip of tea, he stroked his twisted ankle, wincing over how badly it still hurt him. Eren couldn’t help but notice, as well as place the guilt upon himself.

“I’m sorry,” Eren spoke. “Back then, if only I hadn’t made the wrong choice, this never would have happened.”

“I told you,” explained Levi, “no one ever knows how things will turn out.”

The door to the dining room opened, and humans and ponies began to file in, lead by Erwin with Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Petra, Auruo, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Spike, and others behind him.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Erwin apologized.

“Not at all, sir” Eren responded.

Eren soon noticed that his friends, human and pony alike, were with him in the room.

“You guys…” he accounted. “Uh…”

“We have identified a person of interest who may be the Female Titan,” Erwin said, getting Eren to gasp. “This time, we won’t let her escape.”
________________________________________________________________________________________

A map of Stohess was laid out upon the table that Levi had been sitting in, which was now joined by Erwin, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, and Petra. The others stood in between chairs to get as good of a view as they could.

“The operation will begin in two days,” spoke Erwin. “It will take place in the Stohess District on our way to the capital. This will be our first and last chance. Once we pass that point, Eren will be remanded to the capital. Our pursuit of those who seek to destroy the walls will become fraught with difficulty. Ultimately, humanity stands to go extinct. We will stake everything on this plan.”

Eren nodded, knowing what he and the others had to risk.

“Here it is,” explained Erwin, pointing at labeled spots on the map. “When we pass through Stohess, Eren will act as a decoy and lead the target into this underground tunnel. If we can get her to the lowest level, give the tunnel’s size and structural integrity, even if the target transforms, we can immobilize her. But if she transforms before then, Eren, we’ll need your help.”

“Yes, sir!” Eren responded, sitting up. “As for the target, are we sure she is in Stohess?”

“Yes, our target is a member of the Military Police.”

“The Military Police?”

“It was Armin who arrived at that conclusion. He believes the target also killed the two captured titans. She may be a former trainee from the 104th, the same as you.”

Eren gasped at this news, and then began to shudder as he put the pieces together, beginning to know exactly who this person was.

“W– Wait a second,” panted Eren. “The 104th?”

“The name of the girl we believe to be the person of interest is…” Erwin began to reveal.

“Huh… wait…”

“…Annie Leonhardt.”
________________________________________________________________________________________

The explosion of Annie’s transformation threw bodies and debris up into the air, destroying the near vicinity of buildings around the newly formed Female Titan. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin had already turned the corner into the tunnel before the blast, protecting themselves. The pathway that lead them down there, though, was strewn with blood, flesh, and rubble, frightening Eren and Armin.

“Crap,” Armin exclaimed.

At that moment, the massive hand of the Female titan reached into the passageway, feeling about for a way to reach in further and grab the three before they could make an escape. Upon sighting the hand, the three made a sprint down the chamber, just managing to outrace the titan’s hand before they turned another corner, ceasing the titan’s reach.

“Damn it,” shouted Armin, “that ring! She could see right through me from the start. She knew we would ambush her! We should have found another way.”

“Save it for later,” Mikasa told him. “What do we need to do right now?”

“For now, let’s meet up with Squad 3 and get above ground. We’ll follow Plan B: we fight Annie, the Female Titan. Eren transforms as planned and assists in her capture. You’ll do it, right?”

“Yeah,” Eren grunted.

As they came further down, the torchlight being their only guide, two soldiers and Spike, all fully dressed and equipped, walked from a passageway on the left, meeting to greet the three as they came.

“Hey!” called one of the soldiers.

“There they are!” shouted Armin.

“Did the first capture attempt fail?”

“It did!” Armin shouted back. “Switch to Plan B!”

“Then that means…” Spike muttered, running up to the approaching Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. “Twilight? Is she alright?”

“I don’t know!” called Armin. “It didn’t look good though.”

Suddenly, a giant foot smashed through the ceiling, crushing the two human soldiers under its weight and the weight of the rubble. A wave of dust and dirt flew through the tunnels, covering Spike, Armin, Mikasa, and Eren as they shielded themselves from the smaller pieces that would otherwise hurt them.

Once the dust cleared, the four of them unshielded their eyes to see the Female Titan’s foot rise up out of the hole that it made.

“She stomped right through the ground?” gasped Armin.

Eren was shocked to see the motionless limbs of the soldiers that the Female Titan crushed poking through the giant slabs of concrete and earth.

“We have to help them!” shouted Eren, walking near the pile.

“Eren,” Mikasa forbade, pulling him away by his shoulder, “get back!”

“Mikasa!”

As Mikasa continued to pull Eren back, the Female Titan stood outside the hole, waiting to see either one of them come out of it.

“What was that?” yelled Spike. “She could have killed Eren there. Why would she do that?”

“She made a bet,” Armin explained. “When she made that hole, she bet that Eren wouldn’t die. It’s crazy, but that also means she’ll be tough to beat.”

Armin began to run in the opposite direction, leaving Eren, Mikasa, and Spike to follow him.

“To take Eren,” concluded Armin, “Annie’s willing to assume any risk.”
________________________________________________________________________________________

As the Female Titan stood outside the hole it made, Twilight and Applejack emerged from the building they were blasted into for the most part unscathed. Rainbow Dash, however, violently dragged herself out, groaning heavily as she did.

“Dammit,” she hissed. “My back again.”

“Then let’s get that straightened out,” Applejack said, walking back to her.

“Applejack,” whispered Twilight, “wait!”

Applejack rolled Rainbow Dash to her side, using her body weight to twist Rainbow Dash’s body with her upper body twisting left while the lower half twisted right. Rainbow Dash winced at the sharp pain, tears rolling down her eyes.

“Girls,” Twilight hissed, pointing at the Female Titan, “quiet!”

Rainbow Dash shot to her legs, wanting to give Applejack a pummeling for what she did, however, she found that standing up wasn’t hurting her as bad anymore.

“How do y’all feel?” asked Applejack.

“Still a bit sore,” hushed Rainbow Dash, “but I think I can fly again.”

“That’s good,” whispered Twilight, “but Eren, Spike, and the others are still down there, and Annie looks like she’s going to stomp her way through.”

“We gotta’ stop her!” Applejack said. “I left my 3D Maneuver Gear in one of the barrels a couple o’ blocks from here, and I need help putting it on.”

“Fine then. Applejack, you come with me and I’ll help you. Rainbow Dash, you sneak into the passageway and help out Eren and the others out.”

“Got it,” responded Rainbow Dash.

“Good, now let’s move!”

As Applejack and Twilight galloped off to Applejack’s Maneuver Gear, Rainbow Dash, peaked around the ruined building as she saw both the passageway and the Female Titan. Once the titan looked away, Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and soared down into the tunnel as fast and as quiet as she could.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Spike knelt down inside the passageway as they devised a plan.

“What should we do?” asked Armin. “Our exit is gone. Even if we use the 3D Maneuver Gear to make a quick exit, she’ll be right there waiting for us, but if we–”

The Female Titan’s foot came down further inside, frightening Armin from finishing his sentence as the dust cloud approached them, forcing everyone to shield their faces.

“If we stay here,” Armin said, “who knows when she’ll crush us.”

“Guys!” called Rainbow Dash.

Eren was relieved to see his friend alive and well as she galloped up to the four of them.

“Rainbow Dash,” Spike exclaimed. “Where’s Twilight?”

“She and Applejack are fine,” she answered. “What happened here? What are we going to do now?”

“I’ll do something!” Eren proclaimed, “like when I blocked that cannon shell. Come here!”

Eren stood up, pulling Mikasa and Armin to his feet while Spike stood on his own and walked close to Eren’s legs. Rainbow Dash stood close to the scrum, waiting for the transformation to occur.

“Here we go,” Eren warned. “Stay close.”

Eren panted nervously as he put his hand in his mouth. As he clamped down, blood splashed out of the wound, but nothing else seemed to happen, Rainbow Dash, sickened by the sound of the breaking skin, winced as she heard Eren groan and wretch to the pain his hand and the taste of the blood in his mouth. Eren wailed as he continued biting into his hand, feeling his teeth dig through the muscle and hit the bone.

“Not again,” shuddered Eren, looking at his profusely bleeding hand. “No…”

The pain was becoming too much for Eren to handle, as he crumpled to his knees and clutched his hand.

“Now of all times,” Eren sobbed. “It hurts!”

“Eren,” Rainbow Dash whimpered.

“You can’t transform without a specific goal, right?” asked Armin. “Picture it in your mind again; clearly!

“I am!” Eren yelled, clamping down on his hand again. “But…”

Eren continued to dig into his hand, grunting loudly and agonizingly. Mikasa then knelt to Eren’s level.

“Don’t tell me…” she admonished, “you still have reservations about fighting Annie.”

Eren stopped for a while and calmed down, assessing this situation and realizing that it was true: he couldn’t fight his past comrade.

“Eren?” Armin questioned in disbelief.

“After everything you’ve seen,” Mikasa said, “do you still think it might be all a mistake that Annie is the Female Titan?”

Eren couldn’t answer.

“What did you see?” Mikasa asked again. “She’s the one who killed our fellow soldiers.”

“She’s the one who almost killed Spike, Petra, Auruo, and me!” Rainbow Dash spoke up.

“So how can you still think that?”

Eren winced, still unable to accept it.

“Shut up!” he yelled. “I’m trying, aren’t I?”

Eren bit on his hand again, this time whipping his head about and pulling pieces of muscle out of his hand, all to his pain-riddled grunts and shouts.
________________________________________________________________________________________

“Annie’s the Female Titan?” asked Eren. “Why? Why do you think that Armin?”

“Yeah?” asked Rainbow Dash, pointing an accusing hoof at Armin. “How could you think that? She helped us out in Trost.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight scolded, putting her arm down with her magic. “Let Armin explain himself. Go on, Armin.”

Armin turned to the confused Eren and the offended Rainbow Dash.

“From the start,” Armin reasoned, “the Female Titan knew what you looked like. And she reacted to your nickname, “the bastard who ran to his death,” which only the 104th trainees would know. And the biggest reason is that I believe Annie killed Sawney and Bean, Hanji’s test subjects.”

“How can you tell?” asked Eren.

“Only someone very skilled could have done it. They would have used their own Maneuver Gear which they’re more accustomed to.”

“Yeah, wasn’t that why they inspected our Maneuver Gear? But they didn’t find anything on Annie.”

“That’s why Annie brought Marco’s Maneuver Gear to the inspection.”

Eren, Jean, and Fluttershy gasped at this revelation.

“That’s why she managed to avoid getting caught,” Armin concluded.

“What are you talking about,” asked Eren. “What does Marco have to do with this?”

“I don’t know,” Armin reasoned. “I assume that he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Jean clenched his fists, angered to believe that his friend was a casualty to circumstance, which Fluttershy noticed with sympathy.

“Do you even know it was his?” wondered Eren.

“Yes,” Armin defended, “I know what I saw–”

“Hey, kid,” interrupted Levi, “we get it. Do you have any other evidence?”

“No,” Armin answered honestly, “I don’t.”

“I think Annie’s face resembles the Female Titan,” Mikasa butted in.

“Come to think of it,” Applejack spoke up, “they do appear to look quite a bit like each other.”

“Huh?” exclaimed Eren, standing up from his seat in anger. “What are you talking about? That isn’t evidence!”

“So,” Levi said, “you have no proof, but you’ll do it anyway.”

“You have no proof?” Eren questioned, sounding hurt now at Armin’s “baseless” accusations. “Then why do it? What if it isn’t her?”

“Then we’ll know she’s innocent,” Mikasa answered simply. “That’s all.”

“I’ll feel bad for Annie,” Armin admitted, “however, if we don’t do something, you’ll end up being sacrificed to the people of the capital.”

“And what if this doesn’t work?” asked Rainbow Dash angrily. “Not only will Eren get in trouble, but we all will!”

“That’s the risk we all take, Rainbow Dash,” Erwin spoke.

“You’re crazy to think that Annie is a titan,” hissed Eren, unable to look anyone in the eyes.

“Eren,” asked Mikasa, “now that you know we suspect her, isn’t it ringing any bells? You fought the Female Titan. Didn’t anything remind you of Annie’s distinctive combat style?”

Eren froze up instantly. Back when he was fighting the Female Titan in his titan form, he couldn’t help but notice that the stance that it took when it delivered its finishing kick was all too similar to Annie’s. Even the motions of its legs and arms as the kick was delivered were one in the same. Eren couldn’t comprehend it. Even Rainbow Dash could tell that as much, her eyes widening as she could see the truth in Eren’s own eyes.
________________________________________________________________________________________

“You do know, don’t you?” Mikasa questioned. “You know Annie is the Female Titan.”

Eren was still conflicted about the situation, even as he looked upon his bleeding hand.

“We have to fight her!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she shook Eren by the arms, trying to snap him out of it. “What, are you in love with her or something? Even after she did what she has done to us? Then what’s stopping you?”

Mikasa couldn’t help but note Rainbow Dash’s words as potentially valid, leaving her to look at Eren with slight envy. However, Armin broke the tension by drawing two blades out of his sheaths, the metallic shing breaking Mikasa, Eren, and Rainbow Dash from their confrontation.

“I have a plan!” he said. “Mikasa, Rainbow Dash, Spike, and I will exit at the same time, using the original entrance and that opening that she created. Annie’s going to attack one of our groups, so Eren, you have to use that opportunity to get out from the other exit. Spike, you come with me. Rainbow Dash, you go with Mikasa.”

Armin put his hood on Spike ran to his side, ready to follow through. Mikasa grabbed her cloak and put it back on.

“Wait!” called Eren. “One of you is going to die!”

“We’re all dead if we stay,” Rainbow Dash grunted, standing besides Mikasa. “Mikasa, let’s go!”

“Right,” she answered. “We’ll take the front.”

Mikasa and Rainbow Dash ran to the hole in the ceiling just yards away while Armin and Spike ran to the stairway to the outside.

“Mikasa! Armin!” shouted Eren in disbelief. “Rainbow Dash! Spike! How? How can you fight her? HOW!?”

Mikasa stopped just in front of the ring of sunlight that poured in, turning to look at Eren.

“We don’t have a choice,” Mikasa answered. “The world is a cruel place.”

As Mikasa donned her hood, Rainbow Dash gave Eren a look back, exhibiting both comfort and expectance. The two of them ran into the sunlight, potentially exposing themselves to the Female Titan. As Eren continued to look at his hand, unable to believe what he was doing to fight and stop an old friend-turned-enemy, the ground began to shake. As Eren looked up, several large cracks broke through the ceiling and gave way, the debris falling on top of him.

From outside, the Female Titan looked about the area, wondering which exit either of its targets would come out of and when. Armin, knowing the Female Titan’s strike was close to Eren’s location, began to get worried.

“Eren!” he shouted.

Exiting from the passageway, Armin and Spike used their Maneuver Gears to fly out to where Eren was. The Female Titan looked out to the other hole it had made, seeing Mikasa and Rainbow Dash flying out of it, both brandishing blades. The Female Titan, wanting to end them first, ran to Mikasa and Rainbow Dash, who both issued a charge forwards.

Rainbow Dash dipped low to hit the titan at the legs while Mikasa flew straight at its face. The Female Titan was prepared, and it grabbed at Mikasa, holding her in its tight grasp while it kicked at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash, not wanting to risk hurting her back more than she already had, pushed off the titan’s foot and let it fling her away without any injury.

Rainbow Dash went back in to save Mikasa from her dire predicament. Before she could have a chance, as fast as lightning, an orange blur spun past the Female Titan’s hand and cut the fingers clean off, allowing an unscathed Mikasa to escape.

“I gotcha’, partner!” Applejack called out.

As Applejack and Mikasa fell, they both released their gas to hover back to the ground.

“Annie,” declared Mikasa, “I won’t let you have Eren!”

Back on their feet and hooves, Applejack and Mikasa lunged at the titan, ready to resume their combat. Rainbow Dash saw the two with their hands full, opting to go to Eren to see if he was okay. As she flew to the newest hole that the Female Titan made, Twilight flew in from the side, her presence being ignored by the Female Titan as Mikasa and Applejack fought it. Armin was the first to spot Eren as his body was pinned underneath the slabs of the street and demolished building that had fallen on him.

“Eren!” shouted Rainbow Dash upon seeing Eren. “We’ll get you out!”

Armin and Rainbow Dash worked together to remove the top piece of the pile crushing Eren and pulled it off.

“Open your eyes!” pleaded Armin.

As the Female Titan continued to brawl with Mikasa and Applejack, it ran out to leave, forcing the two of them to make chase. The two of them bounded high into the air with each launch of their wires, trying to both catch up with it, avoid its attacks, and attack it themselves. On one particularly harsh whip of its arm, Mikasa barely dodged it, but managed to have her blade run along the titans arm as it moved out.

The thrust continued into the line of buildings, exploding them into a hailstorm of rock and glass. Applejack swooped to the ground to gallop around the falling pieces while Mikasa tried to continue chasing the Female Titan. Her hooks kept colliding with the debris, and with nothing to pull onto and no way to secure a proper landing, Mikasa fell into the street and rolled down.

“Mikasa!” shouted Applejack, rushing back to her friend’s aid.

“What are you doing?” grunted Mikasa, jumping back to her feet. “She’s getting away!”

“Then let’s go get her!”

The two of them ran back out to pursue the Female Titan as it ran from them. As the titan made its escape, three Scouting Legion soldiers ran up to it, flying up into the air on their 3D Maneuver Gears.

“Don’t let the Female Titan escape!” one of them shouted.

“Don’t let her get out!” another yelled.

The Female’s Titan’s fingers had grown back, and upon seeing the trio soldiers rushing to stop it, it unenthusiastically walked up to face them.
________________________________________________________________________________________

From the Military Police escort, the soldiers had all stopped to see the pillars of smoke rising from where the explosion from earlier happened.

“What happened?” asked Nile, redirecting his attention to Marlow and Hitch on the rooftops. “Escort team, we don’t need you here! Go see what’s happening!”

“Roger!” Marlow responded, flying out to the sight with Hitch beside him.

“Something’s off,” Nile said to himself. “That explosion we heard…”

“Nile,” called Erwin, stepping out of a carriage, “deploy all of your troops! We should assume that a titan has appeared!”

Levi, who was dressed in a black jacket, also stepped out. Auruo, dressed in his Scouting Legion attire, came out next, who assisted Petra, wearing a white blouse with brown pants, out of the carriage.

“What?” Nile responded to Erwin’s demand. “This is Wall Sina! There’s no way a titan could be here!”

At this time, Jean, who was inside a carriage on the left side of the street, hopped out with his Scouting Legion cloak and a black wig on his head along with Fluttershy, who was in her uniform.

“Wait!” called a Military Police soldier as he tried to push him back in. “Don’t move, Jaeger!”

“I’m done with this disguise!” grunted Jean, as he removed the wig, shocking the soldier and allowing him to run to Erwin with Fluttershy. “Never call me by that name again, asshole!”

Jean and Fluttershy met with Erwin to receive permission to fight.

“Commander,” he stated, “I’m going too!”

“So will I,” Fluttershy asked with startling confidence.

“I’m still good to fight too, sir!” Auruo spoke up.

“You three get your equipment from Squad 4,” Erwin instructed.

“Roger!” they all agreed as Jean put his cloak on.

“It’s good to see that some people have the balls to go,” Levi commented, “but don’t forget to do your damnedest to stay alive.”

“Yes, sir!”

Auruo and Jean ran forwards to get their Maneuver Gears while Fluttershy galloped alongside them, passing a flabbergasted and infuriated Nile.

“Erwin!” shouted Nile. “What is this?”

“Commander!” shouted a Scouting Legion soldier with a long case in his hand. “Here!”

“Good work,” Erwin complimented.

Upon landing, he set it down and opened it, revealing a spotless 3D Maneuver Gear which Erwin affixed to his body in just mere seconds.

“Hey, Erwin!” shouted Nile as Erwin placed his operational devices into the latches on his harness.

“Anyone who can move,” Erwin ordered, ignoring Nile, “follow me! We’ll rendezvous with the capture teams!”

As Erwin walked forwards, the soldier who had brought Erwin’s gear rocketed off to take down the Female Titan.

“Erwin,” demanded Nile, “wait!”

Pointing his rifle at Erwin, Nile and his other men did the same, stopping Erwin in his tracks. Petra gasped, scared at what would happen to her commander.

“What you’re doing is clearly treason against the king!” Nile declared.

“Nile,” spoke Levi, as fearless as ever, “I’m starting to wonder if your brains don’t even live up to that sorry excuse of a beard. It seems to me that you don’t even have a clue of what’s going on.”

“Remove your equipment, Erwin!” ordered Nile.

Erwin continued to look Nile in the eyes, unwilling to yield to his demands and knowing that he wouldn’t pull the trigger.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Masses of people ran for their lives as the fight with the Female Titan was beginning to spill into their area. The Military Police could only watch with awe as the creatures they had worked all their lives to avoid were now right in the middle of their city.

“Hey,” said a soldier, “isn’t that a titan?”

“Yeah,” responded his comrade, “but how?”

As the citizens of Stohess ran away from the Female Titan, Jean, Fluttershy, and Auruo were heading right for it. Jean couldn’t help but look out at Military Police soldiers standing atop the roofs and observe the chaos before them.

Damn those slackers, Jean thought. I could have been one of them.

“What the hell happened?” Jean asked aloud.

“Hey!” called Auruo. “Keep your eyes ahead!”

“Right!”
________________________________________________________________________________________

Waves of Scouting Legion soldiers came in from all sides to engage in the Female Titan, watching with amazement as it blocked and killed every soldier coming its way.

“Don’t attempt to kill it!” shouted a soldier. “Just try to slow it down!”

The soldiers zipped past and around the Female Titan in an effort to trip it up while remaining on the defensive. However, each soldier that was brave enough to approach it had its wires pulled or grabbed by the Female Titan, causing them to crash into buildings or its own body.

“It’s no use!” exclaimed a soldier. “It knows how Maneuver Gear works!”

Mikasa and Applejack finally found the site of the battle, soaring over the city streets right at the titan’s legs.

“I’m not going to make this easy on you!” Mikasa exclaimed as she propelled forwards.

“I’m gonna’ slice you all kinds of cut!” Applejack threatened as she followed Mikasa close behind.

Mikasa and Applejack flew right in between the Female Titan’s legs, Mikasa slashing the back of its left ankle while Applejack took the third. Swinging around the titan’s legs, Mikasa and Applejack flew out backwards, and cut the legs from the outside as they passed around it. The Female Titan, feeling its feet weakened, grimaced at the return of this seemingly flawless duo.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Armin, Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight managed to lift another slab off Eren, hoping that he would eventually awaken.

“Eren!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Wake up, dude! Eren!”

As the four of them tried in vain to free Eren, Jean, Fluttershy, and Auruo came down.

“Hey!” called Jean. “What are you doing?”

“Jean!” exclaimed Armin. “Fluttershy! Eren’s trapped.”

“Oh no!” squeaked Fluttershy.

“The plan was for him to become a titan!”

“Well, why hasn’t he?” asked Auruo angrily.

“It must be because that the Female Titan is Annie,” answered Armin.

“Annie?” Jean asked incredulously.

“Anyway, we have to save him!” Armin declared as he pulled at the final slabs holding Eren down. “Jean, Fluttershy, help me!”

Jean was still too much in shock to believe that Eren wouldn’t transform.

“He couldn’t transform?” he asked, his brow furrowing in anger.

He then ran up to the unconscious Eren and pulled at his hair.

“Eren,” he shouted, “what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Jean!” Fluttershy protested.

“Didn’t I once tell you that I’m counting on you? We have to entrust the world, humanity, and our lives to you, and this is how you repay us? Marco… Marco… Damn it!”

Eren finally began to open his eyes, Rainbow Dash feeling more relieved as she could see his body movements. Suddenly, a large chunk of concrete flew into a nearby bell tower, destroying the top part of the tower and making the slab ricochet towards Eren and the others.

“Watch out!” shouted Spike.

As the others jumped and ran back, minus Armin, who was too fixated on Eren, Spike yanked Armin back away just as the boulder slammed into the ruined building as well as Spike, his recoil hidden behind the dust that flew from the ground. Armin landed on his rump as he covered his face from the debris. Once the dust cleared, Armin was shocked to see that Eren was trapped by a large portion of the buildings wall, a wooden support driven into his right-upper torso that the wall held down.

Twilight looked for Spike, and was horrified to see Spike’s right arm pressed and caught underneath the slab, a puddle of blood seeping out from underneath, as well as trickles of blood from the corners of his mouth.

“NO!” cried Twilight. “Spike!”

Twilight, sobbing hard, cradled Spike in her arms as she tried to wake him up.

“We have to do something about her!” Jean said, drawing his sword and running out.

Fluttershy threw her head from side to side, unsure of whether she should go with Jean or stick with Twilight.

“Fluttershy,” yelled Twilight, “Auruo, you guys go on ahead!”

Auruo yelled, “But what about–”

“I’ll help him!” Rainbow Dash answered, knowing who Auruo was going to refer to. “Now hurry up!”

Auruo sneered at Rainbow Dash ordering him around, but he and Fluttershy went out to help Jean. Spike’s eyes fluttered open, looking to the side to see his arm trapped.

“Are you kidding me?” weakly shouted Spike, banging his left hand onto the ground.

“You really have a knack for getting hurt while I’m around you, you know that?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Hold on, Spike!” gasped Twilight, charging her horn.

The slab was heavy for Twilight to lift off of Spike, but she eventually took it off of him and placed it away. Twilight was disgusted to see Spike’s mangled, useless right arm, knowing that Spike was completely helpless. Armin looked at Spike’s arm with shock, taken aback the sacrifice he had to make to save his life. Armin, riled up at Eren now, looked to him with angry eyes.

“Eren,” he told him as Eren opened his eyes, “I said this once to Jean: ‘Someone who can’t sacrifice anything can never change anything; that to defeat monsters, you have to be willing to throw aside your humanity. Annie is certainly capable of doing that. Although I don’t know what her reasons are, whoever can do it will win.”

Armin donned his hood once again and ran off to join the fight.

“Armin!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Come back here and help Eren!”

“No,” coughed Spike as blood dribbled out of his mouth, gripping on to Twilight with his left hand. “Twilight. Rainbow Dash. You have to get out of here.”

“What?” shouted Twilight. “I can’t leave you! You’ll die in your state!”

“Twilight, if Annie wins, we’ll all die. You need to help take Annie down, or Armin, Hanji, everyone is going to die. You must help them…”

Spike coughed again, hacking more blood as it sprayed from his mouth.

“Spike…” Twilight cried.

“TWILIGHT!” yelled Spike. “Didn’t you hear a word Armin said? If you aren’t willing to sacrifice anything, you can’t change anything! Twilight,” Spike now cooed, becoming tired from the blood loss, “please, take Rainbow Dash and go. Eren knows what to do. Now, he just has to do it.”

Twilight sobbed again, unable to let her baby dragon go as he lay dying. However, she knew that Armin and Spike were right. She had to choose between one of her oldest friends or the lives of thousands of people. Her choice was clear. With a few cries, Twilight pulled Spike close to her chest, giving him one last embrace.

“I love you, Spike,” she wept. “Don’t you ever forget that!”

“Yeah,” Spike wheezed, his blood-caked eyes pouring tears. “I love you too, Twilight. Thank you for everything.”

Twilight mustered enough courage to let go, stepping away just to ensure she wouldn’t return.

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, “we have to go.”

“But…” Rainbow Dash begged, “what about–”

“Rainbow Dash, please. We’ve done all that we can. Neither of us can lift that wall with force nor magic. Spike is right. Eren has to do the right thing on his own. Now, if we want to defeat Annie, we have to go.”

Rainbow Dash took one last look at Eren, not wanting to leave his side, but knew that he was beyond her help. With a wince, she flew off in the direction of the Female Titan.

“Dammit!” she shouted.

Twilight took one last look at Spike before she too left to follow Rainbow Dash. Eren and Spike laid still as they both were stuck in their current spots.
________________________________________________________________________________________

More soldiers came close to the Female Titan, who disposed of them as easily as it did the others, kicking the low ones into buildings, and grabbing the wires of any others who passed higher up and flinging them into the nearby buildings. As the Female Titan finished off with a particular trio, Armin ran up to bring him to its attention.

“Annie!” he shouted. “If you can’t kill me this time, you can’t make the same bullshit excuse that your bet’s just beginning anymore!”

As the Female Titan turned to see Armin, Jean flew up from behind and raised his hands over his head, his swords trained for the neck. As Jean brought the swords down, the Female Titan put its hands over its neck and hardened its skin, making Jean’s swords break at the base. Jean pushed off of its hand and flew off behind it.

“Armin!” called Jean, “this way!”

“Roger!” called Armin, passing the Female Titan on the ground before flying out to follow Jean.

The Female Titan knew that Armin couldn’t escape after making a fool of itself back there, pursuing him and Jean. As Jean flew through the streets with Armin, Fluttershy intercepted with them and flew alongside them as Annie continued to make chase.

Further down the street, Hanji knelt upon the roof with the trigger to one of the honey-comb cannons that they used in the Forest of Giant Trees. She was giggling maniacally, scaring the other soldiers that were near her.

“It’s coming…” she chuckled.

“Squad leader,” spoke one of her comrades, “you have a crazy look in your eyes.”

Her crazed smile came on as Armin, Fluttershy, and Jean whizzed by, signaling that the Female Titan was coming close. Sure enough, the Female Titan ran by, leaving Hanji to pull the rope on the cannon, releasing a plethora of spike-ended wires that shot at the titan’s face and breast. Below them, more canons were firing out at the titan’s legs and waist, immobilizing it further.

Armin, Jean, and Fluttershy were inches from the wires’ paths as they came across as well as the Female Titan’s fingers as they brushed against Armin and Jean’s boots. No matter how hard the Female Titan pulled forwards, the hold on the ropes only got tighter. Finally, the wires yanked the Female Titan into lying down on the street. Two soldiers standing above the Female Titan on the roofs quickly grabbed a spiked net and tossed it over, the net unrolling and the spikes piercing the Female Titan’s skin.

As the Female Titan laid in the street, held captive once again, Armin swooped back down to the street to stand guard over the titan with about a dozen other soldiers that surrounded it. Hanji and Auruo looked upon the sight of their capture with pride, Hanji twirling the rope-trigger in her hand.

“Okay!” Hanji exclaimed. “I thought there’d be no need for a Plan C, but nope. That’s Commander Erwin, I guess. Now then…”

Hanji fell off the roof, followed by Auruo as they swung down to the street near the Female Titan’s face.

“Be a good girl,” Hanji said, both her and Auruo drawing their swords. “Stay put.”

As Hanji held the end of her blade at the Female Titan’s eye, Mikasa and Applejack watched in complete safety from behind a cannon. Rainbow Dash and Twilight swooped down beside the two, Twilight only staring daggers of scorn at the Female Titan.

“There y’all are!” Applejack exclaimed. “Hey, where’s Spike?”

Twilight didn’t answer, but only looked as Hanji interrogated the Female Titan.

“Here,” stated Hanji, her eyes raged and prying, “you’re too far in to get titans to devour you like before, but don’t worry; I’ll be the one devouring you instead. I’ll devour all the information that we can drag from you.”

“But save some scraps for me,” Auruo growled. “I’ll slice you up for the four of us.”

At that moment, the Female Titan kicked out, sliding its leg into the cannons that lined the side of the street. The soldiers took to the roofs, avoiding the titan’s kick as it came closer. Hanji, Auruo, Mikasa, Applejack, Armin, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash leapt high too, barely dodging the chunks of wood that flew from the broken cannons.

“She broke free?” Mikasa asked, landing upon the roof.

“We needed more traps,” Hanji yelled.

Freed from their trap, the Female Titan stood back up and ran to the south side of the city, hoping only to escape now.

“Don’t let her escape!” Hanji shouted. “Follow her!”

“Don’t let our friends’ deaths be in vain!” bellowed Auruo.

All nearby Scouting Legion soldiers chased Annie on their Maneuver Gears, enacting a chase where both sides had everything to lose.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Spike laid still, about to lose consciousness and lapse into a final sleep, musing all about his actions in his life and where it led him.

I had… thought Spike. I had the best friends any dragon could ask for. I could have turned out like one of them… one of those mean, harmful dragons that I joined that one time… But I made the right choice. I made good friends, and I happily died protecting them. Or…
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“Or maybe you’re a pony in a dragon costume!” taunted a red, bipedal dragon with misshapen fangs.

Several other teenaged dragons were laughing at Spike and his sensitive personality, making Spike feel dejected and weak.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Spike’s eyes flew open, completely taken aback by the sudden memory.

Huh? he wondered. Why am I remembering this? Is this where your life flashes before your eyes before you die?
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“Just let me fight!” Spike pleaded with Twilight in Trost. “I’m not a baby anymore! I want to save all of my friends!”
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Spike instantly felt an arrow of guilt pierce into his heart. As he lay dying, his friends would surely be killed facing the Female Titan. As these feelings coursed through his mind, the shredded stub of his arm began to bleed profusely, the blood becoming chunkier with bits of muscle as the blood flowed. His left hand also began to sweat blood, the ends of the exposed bone wiggling.
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“If it means that I can bring a soldier back to see their home and families again,” Spike argued to Twilight, “then yes, I’d rather die than have that someone’s mom feel that.”
________________________________________________________________________________________

The skin and scales on Spike’s right arm began to regenerate, the torn muscle and crunched bone growing back and forming into one again. As the healing ran into Spike’s hand, two claw-like bones sprouted out where his index and thumb would be.

I can’t die here, Spike thought as his brow furrowed in rage. My friends need me, and I won’t stop protecting them until I breathe my last breath!

The missing muscle, skin, and scales of Spike’s left hand had finally reformed good as new. His right arm was comprised entirely of muscle before a plethora of new, purple scales blanketed the remaining spots. Finally, the cracked ribs in Spike’s chest began to rise as they fixed themselves.

When the final rib cracked in place, Spike, his eyes now narrowed to the thinnest of slits, he hopped to his feet and sprinted off in the direction of the Female Titan, his broken and mangled 3D Maneuver Gear dangling beside him. As Spike ran off, Eren watched him, surprised by his regenerative healing. Armin’s words soon began to creep back into him.

“Someone who can’t sacrifice anything,” Armin stated, “can never change anything.”

I know that, Eren mused. That’s why I failed. I clung to my companions and my ties to them, and I failed. Remember…

Eren’s memory flashed upon seeing Gunther’s sliced neck, Erd’s chewed-off torso, Spike’s cut hand, Petra’s ripped arm, and Rainbow Dash’s bleeding head. His memory brought him back to seeing his mother eaten by a titan, his eyes widening as the titan’s teeth bit down.

Eren tried sitting up, but felt the wooden stake in his chest hold him down. Eren was too infuriated to care. As of now, the Female Titan was going to get away with the deaths and injuries of several of his friends and counting. As Eren gnashed his teeth together, the pressure making his gums bleed, he pushed into the wood and ground up it, getting ready to fight.
________________________________________________________________________________________

As Mikasa and the other soldiers chased the Female Titan, the persistent giant tried to dispose of its hunters every way it could. Quickly turning around, it swung its arm at the buildings next to it, flinging bits of rock, wood, and glass out over the street. As everyone changed course to avoid the debris, slowing them down, Mikasa, more determined and bloodthirsty than ever, spun and flipped over it and kept her path towards the Female Titan, only getting closer.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Spike ran quickly as he knew the Female Titan was getting further away by the second. As more memories flashed through his mind, his jacket, shirt, and harness began to feel tight on his body and legs.
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I want… thought Spike as he was hoisted up on the aptitude mechanism, to impress Levi. I want to show Twilight that I’m not a kid anymore.
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“Spike want!” growled a taller and mature-looking Spike as he tried to take a blue scooter from an orange pegasus filly, a white unicorn filly, and a yellow earth pony filly.
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The jacket, shirt, and harness couldn’t handle the strain any longer. The jacket and shirt tore off of Spike’s torso as the belts to his harness popped, releasing his 3D Maneuver Gear as he ran, only growing more in size. With the rapid change in his aging, his flashing memories, and his seething anger, Spike wobbled as he ran, forcing him to fall to his knees and stop, panting heavily.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Mikasa fell upon the Female Titan, avoiding its grabs and attempted strikes while trying to cut into whatever part was close to her at the time. As Mikasa circled the titan to find another spot to wound it, the titan picked its leg up and kicked Mikasa dead center.

Mikasa fell to the ground, but kept her body up as best as she could with her gas exhaust keeping her hovering above the ground. Despite Mikasa’s efforts to land on her feet, she was too disoriented from her hit to do so, and she tumbled to the ground, her Maneuver Gear flying off her body as she lied unconscious.

“Mikasa!” yelled Armin.

Applejack looked horrified as she of all people took a hard hit from the Female Titan.
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I’ll wipe you out! Eren resolved as he pushed up even harder. No… I’ll kill you! There’s no time to figure out if this is the right thing to do. Just move… Don’t try to keep your hands clean! That’s right… the world is a cruel place!
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Spike could see as his claws grew out, his hands got bigger, and his height increased with the lengthening of his arms, legs, and body. Spike didn’t care. There was only one thing he wanted more than anything.
________________________________________________________________________________________

I want… Spike declared as he maintained his balance, to show Eren, Hanji, Auruo, everyone… that I’m worthy to become a soldier.
________________________________________________________________________________________

“Spike WANT!” declared Spike as he pulled at the scooter again.
________________________________________________________________________________________

“Spike…” he growled, his voice becoming low and guttural, “Spike want to save friends!”

Spike felt his body rise up and over the rooftops as his body grew into that of a full-sized adult dragon, easily twenty meters tall. Spike leaned back and let out a deafening roar into the sky, his purpose clear.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Eren could hear a roaring in the distance, but as he pushed harder into the wood and his wounds bled more, he let out a loud roar himself his body began to glow yellow.
________________________________________________________________________________________

From the escort team, Nile saw in the distance as a bolt of lightning struck upwards into the sky, taking his eyes and rifle off of Erwin and looking behind him.

“Now what?” he yelled.

Erwin knew that Eren had transformed. Now, it was up to him to put an end to the Female Titan once and for all. Petra, on the other hand, was a bit frightened as she was left wondering what the roar that preceded the lightning was.
________________________________________________________________________________________

The soldiers stopped upon the lighting bolt’s appearance, right outside an open area surrounded sparsely by trees with a large carousel-shaped cathedral in the center. Even as they stopped, the Female Titan stopped as well, knowing what was to come. For a while, the Female Titan and the soldiers stood still in complete silence.

The sound of large, approaching footsteps came close. However, the noises almost sounded like a thundering gallop, almost as if the creature was running on all fours. Armin knew that this couldn’t have been Eren, only heightening his nervousness of what was coming.

When the sounds came close enough that the soldiers could tell that it was running just up the street, they all looked to see what it was. Their shock couldn’t be contained, especially for Twilight, Armin, and Hanji, who were paralyzed by the sight.

As the Female Titan turned to face its attacker, even it was caught off guard and froze up out of pure shock. Spike, lifting its left arm off the ground, reeled back for an uppercut. Before the Female Titan could react, Spike’s claws drove into its stomach, lifting it off the ground and holding it up.

“Oh my god…” whispered Twilight. “…Spike?”

The Female Titan tried to pull out, but found that Spike’s claws were deeply rooted inside its abdomen. Spike gave the titan a cocky sneer before it threw its arm down with all of his might. As the Female Titan’s back collided with the ground, the earth shook greatly, knocking many of the soldiers off their balance, trembling the nearby buildings and breaking their windows.

Spike took his claw out of the Female Titan’s body and scuttled to the side, awaiting its next move. The Female Titan weakly twisted its body to face Spike, getting to its knees. Despite the overwhelming strength Spike now possessed, the Female Titan’s scowl told him that it wouldn’t let anything, not even him, get in the way.

The confusion only served to dampen the sound of the other set of sprinting footsteps as they approached, now sounding like they were being produced by two legs. Mikasa awoke to see Eren’s titan running straight at the Female Titan. Eren’s titan’s roar was the only warning the Female Titan received as it turned to see Eren’s leg wound back.

The Female Titan tried to assume a fetal position for protection, but Eren’s titan’s leg was too fast as it sent it flying back and into the cathedral, decimating it. The soldiers were heavily shocked, seeing both Eren’s titan and a gigantic Spike staring the Female Titan down.

“What…” Armin stammered, looking at Spike. “What’s going on? Can Spike turn into a titan too?”

Eren’s titan and Spike looked at each other, but were in control enough to recognize their forms, giving each other a smile and a nod before facing the ruins where the Female Titan laid. With synchronized starts, Eren’s titan and Spike ran from their spots at the Female Titan, ready to give it the thrashing of its life.